For the third year in a row, the United States ranks in the top three countries in the latest Inclusive Internet Index, and boasts the number one spot globally for the affordability category. The report, now in its fourth consecutive year, covers internet accessibility by looking at four factors that contribute to shrinking the global digital divide: availability, affordability, relevance, and readiness.
The U.S.’s top marks in affordability comes as no shock, since data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Americans spend less on an internet plan than other monthly expenses like a gym membership, cell phone, or eating out. America’s internet providers offer different tiers of service so each household can figure out what works best for them, be it a student’s studio apartment or a house of serious gamers. And affordability doesn’t stop there, many cable ISPs offer low-cost broadband adoption programs, and have connected over eight million Americans so far.
America’s internet network consistently receives high marks, thanks to the more than $290 billion the industry has invested in capital infrastructure over the past two decades. America’s broadband leaders constantly update their networks, resulting in faster speeds and even stronger reliability. Right now, engineers are working hard to deliver the 10G network, a multigigabit service that will be ready to power whatever the future brings.